Trenton
– Troubled by the recent decline in
back seat restraint use by children between
the ages of eight and 18, New Jersey traffic
safety officials today reminded parents
and caregivers of the life-saving importance
of making sure children are properly buckled
up in a vehicle, every ride.

According
to Division of Highway Traffic Safety Director
Pam Fischer, in New Jersey the number of
children and teens between the ages of eight
and 18 who are properly restrained in the
back seat declined from 53% in 2009 to just
37% this year. New Jersey’s current
primary seat belt law requires passengers
under the age of 18, regardless of seating
position, to always buckle-up.

“Children
are our most precious cargo,” Fischer
stated. “As parents, it is our job
to ensure their safety when riding in a
motor vehicle. That task is particularly
critical when you consider that car crashes
are the number one killer of children and
teens. Recognizing that our statewide front
seat belt usage rate is at an all-time high
– nearly 94% -- we can and must do
better when it comes to our children.”

As
part of National Child Passenger Safety
(CPS) Week, which runs from September 19-25,
2010, traffic safety advocates across the
nation are spotlighting the proper installation
and use of child passenger and booster seats
as well as lap and shoulder restraints for
children.

“Clearly,
we must re-double our efforts to educate
both parents and children about the life-saving
importance of buckling up, every ride, regardless
of where you are sitting in a vehicle,”
Fischer added. “Public awareness and
education efforts, including Child Passenger
Safety Week and the many programs and initiatives
that are in place year-round, can help our
children build a solid foundation for a
lifetime of safe riding and driving behaviors.”

In
addition, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly
three out of four child safety seats are
improperly installed in vehicles. During
this year’s CPS Week, safety experts
will be available throughout the state on
Saturday, September 25 to help parents and
caregivers learn how to properly install
and use car seats and booster seats in their
vehicles. Known as “Seat Check Saturday,”
the day-long event offers individuals free,
educational information on this important
topic, as well as hands-on assistance.

“Parents
and caregivers are encouraged to take advantage
of the wealth of information and assistance
that is available on child passenger safety
from police departments, and traffic safety
and health agencies,” said Fischer,
who is a NHTSA-certified child passenger
safety technician. “It takes only
a few moments to learn how to properly install
and use a child safety seat or a booster
seat, but those few moments could be critical
when it comes to your child’s safety.”

In
2008, NHTSA reported that 244 children under
the age of five avoided fatal injuries in
a car crash because they were properly restrained
in a child safety seat or booster seat.
Between 1975 and 2008, a total of 8,959
children under five years of age were saved
by the proper use of child restraints.

To
further maximize child passenger safety,
parents and caregivers should adhere to
the following guidelines for determining
which restraint system is best suited to
protect children based on age and size:

For the best possible protection, keep
infants in the back seat, in rear-facing
child safety seats, up to the maximum
height or weight limit of that particular
seat. At a minimum, infants should ride
rear-facing until at least age 1 and 20
pounds.

When
children outgrow their rear-facing seats
(at least age 1 and 20 pounds), they should
ride in forward-facing child safety seats,
in the back seat, until they reach the
upper weight or height limit of the particular
seat (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds).

Once
children outgrow their forward-facing
seats (usually around age 4 and 40 pounds),
they should ride in booster seats, in
the back seat, until the vehicle seat
belts fit properly. Seat belts fit properly
when the lap belt lays across the upper
thighs and the shoulder belt fits across
the chest (usually when the child is at
least 4’ 9” tall).

When
children outgrow their booster seats,
they should be restrained in seat belts
in the back seat (until at least 13 years
of age). At that time, they may ride in
either the front seat or back seat, but
must always be properly restrained.

Additional
information on child passenger safety, including
a list of permanent fitting stations, as
well as those locations holding events on
Seat Check Saturday, is available on the
Division’s website, at www.nj.gov/oag/hts/CPS-week_resources.html.